South Gloucestershire Council will begin introducing new recycling bags from mid-February to help residents adapt to three-weekly black bin collections.
Two types of recycling bag will be provided to all households in South Gloucestershire:
- A white reusable recycling bag for plastic cans and foil
- A pack of blue bags for soft plastics.
Plastic, cans and foil bags are being introduced to expand the capacity for these materials and make separating items easier for residents. The reusable bags chosen seal fully to help prevent litter, are weighted so they are less likely to blow away and are made of a durable material.
Soft plastics currently take up around 29 per cent of the average black bin by volume, so moving these items to the weekly recycling means that most people should be able to accommodate three-weekly black bin collections.
Residents that were part of the soft plastic trial will receive their reusable recycling bags first. Other residents will start to receive both types of bags at the same time. All households should receive the new bags by May and can start using them straight away. There will also be a leaflet delivered with the bags with more information.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for recycling and waste at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “We know that South Gloucestershire’s residents are already committed to recycling their household waste, and by providing these new bags we want to make it as easy as possible for them.
“Following the success of our soft plastics trial, we are delighted to be rolling out this service to all households, and we’ve chosen durable and litter resistant materials for the new bags to help keep our communities clean and tidy. We hope these changes will help increase recycling rates in the area and make the system simpler to use for everyone.”
For more information about recycling in South Gloucestershire visit www.southglos.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling
